Uneasy daily life

Touching on a blind spot in her knowledge, Yukino Yukinoshita paused for a moment, ultimately lacking sufficient fuel to launch a counterattack immediately.

"You have to go to school later. If you want to change that demon's routine, you'll probably have to stick to it until the weekend, or kick it off the bed every night when it's dancing. Over time, the demon will naturally learn to behave itself."

Bai Ying kindly offered a suggestion, then immediately added, "Brave warrior, why don't you launch it into space and turn it into a stray cat?"

Yukino Yukinoshita glanced sideways at this persistent fellow, ignored the topic, took a sip of warm milk, and the warmth of the food soothed her stomach, somewhat erasing her weariness. However, the feeling of fullness only intensified her drowsiness. She perked up and casually said, "Everyone says not to call me the hero..."

Hmm? It seems I've unknowingly accepted this rather embarrassing title?

Yukino Shita, belatedly realizing what was happening, asked with a wary and puzzled look, "Why did you give me the nickname 'Hero'?"

"Well..."

Bai Ying finished the last piece of bread and asked with interest, "What do you think a hero is?"

"Do you think I'm some kind of caveman? Although I'm not interested in that kind of thing, I do know a little bit about it." Yukino Yukinoshita casually said, "A protagonist burdened with a mission, a core righteous character who defeats evil, that's probably what I'm meant by that."

Bai Ying chuckled, "You've gone off-topic."

Off-topic?

Yukino Yukinoshita froze, and subconsciously said, "Could it be... a brave person?"

Bai Ying's voice changed, becoming elegant and clear, as he recited aloud.

"I swear—"

"I will take my responsibilities seriously."

"I will do my best to overcome the current difficulties."

"I will treat my friends with sincerity."

"I will bravely fight against the enemies ahead."

Yukino Yukinoshita got goosebumps and said with disdain, "Performing weird stuff so early in the morning, aren't you afraid of disturbing the neighbors? Can't you at least have a little common sense?"

The white figure asked, "Can you do it?"

Yukino Yukinoshita got a little stuck.

The responsibility of raising a cat is not fulfilled seriously enough, or one's energy is distracted by other things, or one is so captivated by the cat's beauty that one ends up in a mess.

Overcoming the current difficulties... well, the difficulty of overcoming the white shadow is indeed quite difficult.

Treat your friends sincerely, but from the moment you start thinking about taking the blame for someone else's mistakes, you've already avoided direct conversation.

Bravely confronting the enemy—your mother? Confronting your mother?! That kind of thing is really...

"The hero, in the beginning, was a collection of the beauty of fantasy. As a character who naturally bears a mission and responsibility, writers portrayed virtues for this character and pushed him to face the destined demon king and his destined fate. There are many similar characters, which are mostly based on a yearning for a more beautiful person."

Bai Ying said, "I think this is the ideal self you want to be. Calling you a hero is a compliment, and it's a compliment to your good looks."

Yukino Yukinoshita stared at the white figure with a mixture of urge to kill and a numb feeling of being seen through. She asked tentatively, "Why does that white fungus call itself the Demon King? Is there some shady conspiracy, or is it determined to conquer the world?"

"Jie Jie Jie..."

Upon hearing this, Bai Ying let out a few strange laughs but did not reply, leaving Yukino Yukinoshita completely confused.

Oh, you sleep-deprived, exhausted warrior, haven't you realized you've fallen into the Demon King's trap?

Using the devil as bait, they make you addicted to beauty, causing you to gradually wither away.

Place your general behind you, and when you are exhausted, surround and kill you with a large army.

Evil, extremely evil.

……

……

Yukino Yukinoshita bravely faced the morning's classes. Even though the teacher was teaching knowledge she already knew, she maintained the serious demeanor of a top student and studied diligently all morning. She hadn't forgotten about the final exam.

Let's carefully review what we need to do today...

Cat litter, cat beds, and beef for extra meals for the cat need to be purchased.

Prepare a more substantial dinner and 'return' the rent to Bai Ying.

When I get home, I need to tidy up the sheets that have been drying in the sun. I hope the sun will work hard to shine and provide warmth.

If nothing unexpected happens, I should see cat poop or even cat pee on the floor when I get home... Since there is no cage and no time to train, I can only put the sleeping Knight in the bathroom and put cat food in it. At least it's easier to clean up the cat poop and pee in the bathroom.

Today is Thursday, tomorrow is Friday—the day after tomorrow I'll have a little time to spend with my cat, which makes me feel a little vengeful… cough cough, no, no, cats are so cute, how can I think like that?

Yukino Yukinoshita was a little confused. Why did her life suddenly become so busy?

As for living with Bai Ying, there was none of the 'awkwardness' or 'terrible coincidence' I had imagined. Instead, it was more about strong clashes in terms of tastes, schedules, and habits.

The thought of someone bringing pig brains into the kitchen in the future made her a little crazy, and she even thought about using her landlord privileges.

This is a trial.

As a unique individual among humans, Bai Ying, if one can adapt to being around him, always feels that no matter what one faces, one will not be afraid.

Is this the Demon King's role?

Yukino Yukinoshita silently made a comment in her mind.

"get out of class dismissed—don't rush!"

On the podium, Hiratsuka Shizuka closed her textbook, and her announcement to start the competition caused a stir in the class. She then immediately stepped on the gas.

Her smiling gaze swept over several students who were halfway up their seats, bringing them back to their places, and then she announced, "The first semester is almost over, and as usual, it's time for a school trip, but this year's school trip is a little different."

Not all students are interested in traveling far away.

But I'm sure all students are very interested in holidays!

A bolder student raised his hand and asked, "Teacher, is this year's school trip going to be cancelled?"

"Of course not, but it will be a week earlier," Hiratsuka Shizuka announced. "Next Friday is the start date of the school trip—"

Many students cheered and jeering.

Good idea to start early! The sooner you play, the sooner you can enjoy it!

Hiratsuka Shizuka announced again: "Therefore, the school trip summary, which was previously categorized as summer homework after the school trip and was given directly after summer vacation, will now be completed on the weekend after the school trip! It must be at least 1,000 words long and contain substantial content. The evaluation you receive will affect your final grade!"

It's a bit quiet.

Can't we just have some fun?

The classroom was filled with a melancholy atmosphere.

Hehe, teasing others seems quite fun. No wonder that little rascal Bai Ying always likes to make fun of me.

"During this time, you can consider where to go on a school trip. Voting will be held next Monday. Abstention is allowed, and the destination is limited to within the country."

It was break time, and after Hiratsuka Shizuka finished speaking, small groups of people started talking in the classroom, discussing where to travel. Some suggested going to Okinawa to experience diving and summer, some suggested going to Kyoto, the cultural center, to experience its ancient charm, and others suggested going to Tokyo to see the hustle and bustle of a big city and the assembly line of office workers...

Everyone in the crowd was making their own noise, creating a lively and restless atmosphere. To the silent bystanders, this felt like hearing a swarm of mosquitoes buzzing around them, which could be the trigger for the teacher's anger and a major test for the teacher.

Hiratsuka Shizuka glanced at the girl by the window. The classmates around her were discussing the school trip destination. She put away her textbooks, took out the textbook for the next class to preview, her expression calm, ignoring the sounds around her. Naturally, no one came to ask her anything. It was as if she had her own aura of isolation, directly separating herself from her classmates.

What a worrying child.

Yukino Yukinoshita suddenly felt her eyelids tremble, nodded forward, and then quickly sat up straight again, concentrating on her studies.

It was a very brief moment, less than a second, but it was observed by Hiratsuka Shizuka who was watching closely.

Staying up all night? Wait a minute—Bai Ying ran to Xue Shita's house and stayed there. The next day, Xue Shita didn't get enough sleep...

No, Yukinoshita probably isn't that reckless... but it's hard to say for sure.

Unconsciously, Hiratsuka Shizuka pulled out a cigarette and bit it between her teeth, her mind racing with thoughts.

Just like a student who always completes their homework properly, the fear, tension, and anxiety they feel when they fail to finish on time for the first time are enough to bring them to tears. But as they gain more experience and make more mistakes, they realize that these are not important 'small mistakes' until all these small mistakes accumulate into serious consequences, at which point it is too late to turn back.

Shizuka Hiratsuka was aware that there was always an element of repression in Yukinoshita's emotions.

When Baiying called her yesterday to explain the reason, she was quite shocked by Xuezhi's 'rebellious' behavior. Of course, she was happy to see it happen—even if she made some small mistakes, it was better than suppressing herself and hurting herself. Occasionally venting was good for mental health.

What if Yukino goes too far with her outburst? What if the repression is so intense that it explodes out of control?!

Wouldn't that make me an accomplice? I guess I'll have no choice but to go to Yukino's house and dogeza (a deep bow in apology)!

Is Baiying really that unreliable? If you really mess things up, you'll end up hurting Yukinoshita and me at the same time!

Hiratsuka Shizuka, with a cigarette almost bitten off in her mouth, quickly left the classroom.

I'm a little sleepy, but I can still manage... I wonder how the cat in the bathroom is doing. I hope it's alright? I've sealed off all the potentially dangerous areas, like the toilet, beforehand...

Yukino Yukinoshita thought to herself.

Chapter Sixty-Five: Chain Reaction Failure

"Seriously, teacher? Someone as dignified as you, are you going to use a grudge from the night before to make things difficult for me?"

At lunchtime, Bai Ying, who had just finished eating her bento while pinching her nose, arrived at the office.

Hiratsuka Shizuka, with a cigarette dangling from her lips, turned her head and exhaled the smoke to conceal her worries and suspicions. She then tapped the table with her hand: "Please sit down—why are you so late? I urged you thirteen times."

“I just finished class and haven’t eaten yet when you sent me a text message. On my way to the office, I even received three more text messages urging me to hurry up.”

Bai Ying looked around: "Could this place be also known as Fengbo Pavilion?"

Hiratsuka Shizuka composed herself and asked, "Tell me first why you've been so slow."

"Eat a bento box."

Who made it for you?

"Yukinoshita."

"what about the taste?"

"Personally, I prefer hot food, except for cold dishes. Japanese bento boxes made up of cold dishes like rice balls and meatballs are really hard to eat."

Why did she make you a bento box?

"They probably felt the rent was too much to handle and were trying to 'return' it to me indirectly."

Bai Ying nodded and said, "Teacher, you're thinking about impure things."

Hiratsuka Shizuka frowned: "Don't change the subject, I'm asking you a question now—"

"There were no lucky pervert incidents, no heart-fluttering moments when eyes met, no uncontrollable youthful restlessness, no infatuated entanglements, whispers and shouts, no moments of tenderness cooling down, anxiety and sleepless nights."

Bai Ying sighed, "A teacher with zero experience and 100% thought is quite fitting for the character, but to have impure thoughts and conjure up all sorts of messy little dramas in one's head is just too vulgar and typical of a middle-aged man..."

boom!

"It's all because you acted so well!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka said quietly, "I have serious doubts about whether that pervert from last night was an act or if it was really you."

"Teacher, I truly believe that you are someone who would never attract a pervert. Be confident, there will be no perverts around you."

"Go away, go away!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka wished she could kick this guy in the butt to help him roll out of the office faster.

It seems I don't need to go to Yukinoshita's house for a dogeza (a traditional Chinese prayer ceremony).

But why is Yukishita sleep-deprived?

Remembering she'd forgotten to ask, Hiratsuka Shizuka pressed her phone and sent a message to inquire.

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: Because the hero got a cat.]

[Jingjing: So? What's the connection between the two?]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: Teacher, you must think raising pets is a lot of trouble, right? You have to feed them, deal with all sorts of annoying behaviors, and worry about shedding.]

[Jingjing: That sounds complicated enough. I'm a busy, frugal adult; if I wanted a pet, I'd have to take it to an animal shelter.]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: Joy.]

[Jingjing: ?]

For some reason, there was no reply from the other end for three minutes, creating a meaningful silence.

Busy?